Inking roller for printing presses



Nov. 3, 1942. H. J. LUEHRS 42,300,949

' INKING ROLLER FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 12, 1941 All/21%;?

N INVENTOR. W ag 7 N BY Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INKING ROLLER'FOR/ PRINTING PRES SES Hans J. Luehrs, Westerly, 1., assignor to C. B.

Oottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, I., a corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 1941, Serial No. 388,220 Claims. (Cl. 101-367) My invention consists in 'a novel inking roller for use in connection with various types of inking mechanisms for printing presses, said inking roller including an axle and a concentric pervious sleeve of hard material, such as pervious bronze rotatably mounted on and spaced from said axle, means being provided for feeding liquid ink into the roller where it may pass outwardly through the pervious sleeve to the exterior surface of the inking roller to be transferred either directly or indirectly, as may be desired, to the form cylinder of a printing press. Pervious bronze suitable for the purpose hereinafter set forth is in extensive commercial production by different manufacturers and it is marketed under various trade names such for instance as Oilite, Durex, and Ledaloyl.

My invention also comprises means for feeding the liquid ink, preferably under pressure, to the interior of the inking roller.

My invention also comprises an anti-friction bearing for rotatively mounting the pervious sleeve on the axle.

Practical embodiments of my invention are represented in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents the inking roller in longitudinal central section, the means for feeding the liquid ink, under pressure, being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 represents the inking roller in cross section in a position to transfer the liquid ink indirectly through intermediate rollers to a form cylinder;

Fig. 3 represents a detail longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, showing the means for attaching a liquid ink supply pipe to the axle;

Fig. 4 represents a detail cross section taken in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 represents a detail longitudinal section showing a modified form of roller bearing.

The side frames l and 2 of the inking mechanism are constructed to removably support the inking roller. This roller is shown as comprising a hollow axle 3 and a concentric sleeve 4 of pervious hard material, as, for instance, pervious bronze, spaced from and rotatably mounted on the axle by an anti-friction bearing 5. The antifriction bearing 5 may consist of a plurality of spaced annular series of rollers positioned enda wise of the inking roller by circumferential exterior flanges 6 on the axle 3. These anti-friction rollers are preferably of hard rubber to permit a slight compression thereof when predetermined exterior pressure is applied to the pervious sleeve 4. These anti-friction rollers not only serve to space the pervious sleeve from the axle but they also serve to cut up the ink and to accelerate its penetration through the sleeve.

The pervious sleeve 4 has removably fastened thereto end plates 1 and 8, one of which is shown as a spur gear by which the sleeve may be positively rotated on its axle 3. Packing rings 9 and I0 may be inserted between the end plates and external circumferential shoulders II and i2 on the axle 3.

This axle 3 is shown as hollow from end to end and as provided with annular series of side openings [3 for admission of liquid ink to the space between the sleeve and axle.

The means which I have shown for feeding he liquid ink under pressure into the said space between the sleeve and axle and outwardly through the sleeve, comprises the following elements:

A bracket l4 carried by the said frame 2 supports a liquid ink supply tank l5, connected by a series of pipes 16, to their respective side openings l3, as, for instance, by couplings I1 engaged by screw-threaded thimbles l8 located in said side openings l3. By this arrangement the liquid ink may be quickly distributed along the space between the sleeve and axle. To exert pressure on the liquid ink for forcing it into said space, the tank l5 may be provided with a hand pump l9.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the flanges 6 on the axle 3 are omitted and the anti-friction rollers extend substantially the entire length of the pervious sleeve to obtain a continuous rolling speed of the roller is increased, thereby allowing more ink to pass through the pervious sleeve as the press speed increases.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiments herein shown and de scribed, but what I claim is:

l. A hollow inking roller comprising a hollow axle having annular series of side openings therethrough, a pervious sleeve of hard material, annular series of rollers located within the sleeve throughout its length for rotatably mounting the sleeve on and spacing it from the axle, and means for feeding liquid ink outwardly through said side openings to said space between the axle and sleeve.

2. A hollow inking roller comprising a hollow axle having annular series of side openings therethrough, a pervious bronze sleeve, annular series of rollers located within the sleeve throughout its length for rotatably mounting the sleeve on and spacing it from the axle, and means for feeding liquid ink outwardly through said side openings to said space between the axle and. sleeve.

3. A hollow inking roller comprising a hollow axle having annular series of side openings therethrough, a pervious sleeve of hard material, annular series of rollers located within the sleeve throughout its length for rotatably mounting the sleeve on and spacing it from the axle, means for feeding liquid ink under pressure outwardly through said side openings to the space between the axle and sleeve and outwardly through the sleeve.

4. A hollow inking roller comprising a hollow axle having annular series of side openings therethrough, a pervious bronze sleeve, annular series of rollers located within the sleeve throughout its length for rotatably mounting the sleeve on and spacing it from the axle, means for feeding liquid ink under pressure outwardly through said side openings to the space between the axle and sleeve and outwardly through the sleeve.

5. A hollow inking roller comprising an axle, a pervious sleeve, a roller bearing for rotatably mounting the sleeve on and spacing it from the axle, and means for feeding liquid ink to the space between the axle and sleeve, said roller bearing contacting with the inner wall of the sleeve throughout its length.

HANS J. LUEHRS. 

